The adoption of planted fallow largely depends on the cost and feasibility of using the technology; easy, inexpensive and simple fallow establishment methods are known to greatly enhance adoption. It was the objective of this study to assess the effects of weeding regime on the establishment of Calliandra calothyrsus and Inga edulis on degraded acid soils in southern Cameroon. A combination of the two fallow species and two weeding regimes, weeding or not weeding, were compared to a natural fallow. The trial was conducted in two sites of different base saturation levels with four replications. The results indicate that differences between the two species and the two weeding regimes were statistically significant (p 005) on both sites for all measured tree growth parameters, as well as the residual effects on subsequent maize grain yield. Presence of weeds reduced stem diameter and height of C. calothyrsus and I. edulis at the early stage of their establishment. Weeding doubled the leaf biomass of both species. The highest woodmass was produced by Inga in plots with weeding treatment, with 48 t/ha of dry material. Tree fallow improved the yield of succeeding crops by twofold over the natural grass fallow. Weeding treatment improved maize yield, from 1.9t/ha to 2.8 t/ha after Calliandra fallow, and from 2.22 t/ha to 3.0 t/ha after Inga fallow. The significant effects of weeding treatments implies that fallow-improving tree species should be planted in relay intercropping for trees to benefit from the weeding of crops, thus reducing the labour spent on fallow establishment.
Tag: calliandra calothyrsus
Calliandra calothyrsus: assessing the early stages of adoption of a fodder tree in the highlands of central Kenya
The paper examines the early stages of adoption of Calliandra calothyrsus, a leguminous fodder tree, among smallholder dairy producers in the highlands of central Kenya. The main objectives of the study were: to examine the expansion of calliandra planting by farmers; to document farmers’ experiences and assessments in testing, managing and using the tree; to determine the economic impact of calliandra from farmers’ perspective and to provide feedback to research, extension and policy makers on issues which need to be examined for the improvement and promotion of calliandra as a fodder crop It starts by describing the study area, then summarises the research on the management of calliandra as a fodder tree and as a feed for dairy cows. Next the survey methods are described and the results and conclusions are presented.
Calliandra calothyrsus: assessing the early stages of adoption of a fodder shrub in the highlands of central Kenya
The uptake of Calliandra calothyrsus as a fodder shrub by small-scale dairy farmers was assessed several years after the shrubs were introduced to farmers in on-farm trials. There was strong evidence that farmers were adopting the shrub. A random sample of 45 farmers had increased their average number of shrubs from 84 in their first plantings in 1991–1992 to 311 after 6–7 years. Moreover, farmer-to-farmer dissemination appeared to be high, as 47% had harvested seed and 70% of these had given or sold seed or seedlings to other farmers. The net benefits of using 6 kg of fresh calliandra leaves per day as a substitute for 2 kg purchased dairy meal or as a supplement to farmers’ basefeeding regime amounted to about US$130 per cow year1. By 2000, several thousand farmers in central Kenya were feeding calliandra to their dairy animals. Potential benefits from adopting calliandra or similar fodder shrub species in Kenya’s smallholder dairy sector amounted to about US$139,000,000 year1. Several measures were proposed to help realize this potential: facilitating on-farm research and dissemination of information and planting material, research to identify new fodder shrub species, and assessing the constraints and incentives affecting fodder shrub adoption.
Calliandra calothyrsus: nursery establishment and management
Calliandra calothyrsus is a small, leguminous tree with characteristic pink flowers. It grows in a wide range of climatic and soil conditions, from the sea level to the highlands, but it performs best in coffee zones. Acidic soils, waterlogging and frost affect its growth negatively. Calliandra grows relatively fast and its economic benefits can be realized in the first year after planting. The tree can produce fodder continuously for more than 10 years. It can be grown in various sites on the farm since it does not compete much with crops growing adjacent to it, as long as it is properly managed to reduce the shading effect.
Calliandra calothyrsus: tree management and utilization
Calliandra calothyrsus is a small, thornless, often multistemmed shrub. Under optimum conditions it can attain a height of 12 m and a trunk diameter of 30 cm, but its average height is 5-6 m and diameter 20 cm. Bark colour varies from white to dark red-brown and is normally glabrous but occasionally can be finely pubescent. It has both superficial and deepgrowing roots. Sometimes a taproot is formed.
Kaliyandra: okutandika n’okulabirira nasale
Kaliyandra (Caliandra calothyrsus) kati katono nga kamulisa ebimuli imyufu. Kakula bulungi mubulimbeera z’obudde, kumbalama zenyanja, kunsozi, naye kasinga kukola bulungi mubifo omulimibwa emwanyi. Ettaka eritaddako mmere, ebifo amazzi mwegakunganilra, n’obunyogovu Obungi bukosa okukula kwa Kaliyandra. Akati Kano kakula mangu nnyo era otandika okuganyulwa mumuti guno mubbanga Iya mwaka ggumu nga kamaze okusimbibwa. Omuti guno gusobola okuvaako emmere yebisolo okussuka emyaka kumi. Omuti guno gusobola okusimbibwa awantu wonna munimiro/ faamu engeri gyegutavuganya nabimera birala ebigulirannaye, kasita guba nga gulabiriddwa bulungi okukendeeza kukisikirize kyaagwo okubikka ebimera ebirala.
Plant fodder shrubs for more milk and cash
Most small-scale farmers keep high- grade dairy cattle. They are mainly fed on napier grass, but it is not a complete feed and it is often not enough. Inadequate amounts of goodfeed leads to low milk yield. Tree fodder from Calliandra, Leucaena and Mulberry can increase milk yield
Multipurpose tree prunings as a source of nitrogen to maize under semiarid conditions in Zimbabwe. 1. Nitrogen-recovery rates in relation to pruning quality and method of application
Decomposition- and N-mineralization rates of multipurpose tree prunings applied as a source of N to annual crops in agroforestry systems are affected by the chemical composition and method and time of application of the prunings and the soil type. In a greenhouse study undertaken on two contrasting Zimbabwean soils, there was a significant interaction of pruning quality with time and method of pruning application on nitrogen recovery by maize and residual effects on a subsequent maize crop on both soil types. Incorporating prunings in the soil at planting gave higher nitrogen recovery compared to surface application at two or four weeks after planting for all three MPT species used.Flemingia macrophylla showed prolonged N immobilization on an Alfisol (sandy clay loam) but not on the Psamment (sandy soil). Nitrogen recovery by the second maize crop (residual effect) was influenced by pruning quality, time of application, and soil type. Low-quality prunings such asFlemingia macrophylla andAcacia angustissima applied four weeks after planting gave higher residual effect on N recovery on the Alfisol than on the Psamment (3% vs. 6%).
Multipurposes tree prunings as a source of nitrogen to maize under semiarid conditions in Zimbabwe. 2. Nitrogen-recovery rates and crop growth as influenced by mixtures and prunings
Time of pruning application and mixing prunings of varying qualities could be important management options to increase the rate of nitrogen recovery from multipurpose-tree prunings that are used as a source of nitrogen to crops. A field experiment was conducted in the semiarid zone of Zimbabwe to test this hypothesis, using prunings of calliandra (Calliandra calothyrsus) and leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala), alone and in mixtures, and maize (Zea mays) as the test crop. Time of pruning application significantly improved N uptake, N recovery, and grain yield of maize. Applying prunings of calliandra at maize planting was significantly better in terms of N uptake, N recovery, and grain yield than applying them four weeks after planting. However, with leucaena, time of prunings application had no significant effects on N recovery. Mixing prunings of leucaena and calliandra had no effect on maize N uptake, N recovery, and grain yield. Split application of available prunings during the crop growth cycle had no effect on N recovery compared to one-time application of entire amounts of prunings at planting.
Combining napier grass with leguminous shrubs in contour hedgerows controls soil erosion without competing with crops
We established hedges/barriers of calliandra (Calliandra calothyrsus Meissner), leucaena (Leucaena trichandra (Zucc.) Urban)) and napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach) and combination hedges of either calliandra or leucaena with napier grass on slopes exceeding 5% to study the effect of vegetative barriers on productivity of arable steeplands in central Kenya. Hedges/barriers were pruned regularly and biomass incorporated into the plots.Hedge plots were monitored for soil fertility, soil losses and maize crop yield changes. Inorganic-N concentration in the tree hedge plots was higher than in the control and napier barrier plots after 20 months. Napier grass barriers were the most effective in reducing erosion losses across the two seasons. The effectiveness of napier grass to significantly reduce soil erosion was detectable in one year old napier barriers. Soil loss from all the other one year old vegetative treatments was similar to soil loss from the control. Seventeen month old combination hedge plots recorded lower soil losses than tree hedges of the same age (P = 0.012). Maize crop yields throughout the trial period were high and similar for leguminous and combination hedge plots, but lower in the napier grass and control plots.Overall, we observed that the combination hedges seemed to provide a win-win scenario of reduction in soil erosion combined with improvement of maize crop yields and soil fertility enhancement.We conclude that vegetative hedges have a potential for improving soil productivity in arable steep-lands of the central highlands of Kenya, and that in adoption of vegetative hedges for this purpose there are trade-offs between soil conservation, soil fertility and maize crop yields to be considered.